Tribune's Keillor, Barry, Puck, Huffington Mobilizes with Vibes

By Contributor Wireless and Mobile News on October 20, 2008 11:47 AM

Tribune Media Services (TMS), the content licensing division of Tribune Company has partnered with Vibes Media to bring TMS' e catalogue ofditorial content to the mobile market.

Vibes, a leading provider of interactive text message and mobile content marketing, has converted thousands of pieces of TMS content into a mobile-ready format, with new content published on an on-going basis. The content catalog will be marketed to a broad range of providers in the mobile services and media industries.

Wireless subscribers will have access to the best name-brand editorial and information content through their mobile phones the same week and in some cases the same day that it is published in print and online. Content providers for the mobile catalog feature legendary figures such as Garrison Keillor, Dave Barry, Wolfgang Puck, Rick Steves, Arianna Huffington, Linda Black, Henry Kissinger and Carl Hiaasen, among many others. Subscribers can also sign-up for daily alerts, jokes, horoscopes and quotes, as well as other original Vibes created content.

"This partnership is ground-breaking because most of the mobile content currently available, especially SMS alert services, is low-quality, generic, and overpriced," said Rohan Deuskar, Director Innovation and Product Incubation, for Vibes Media. "This is the first time that a catalog of this quality and depth is being made available for a mobile audience."

One of the first companies to utilize the new service will be U.S. Cellular, which will offer their subscribers an extensive collection of daily and weekly SMS alerts starting in October 2008.

"The TMS/Vibes partnership is the first significant mobile content distribution project TMS has undertaken," said Steve Tippie, TMS Vice President of Marketing and Licensing. "We chose to work with Vibes over other companies because of their excellent record for innovative mobile programs and their positive and aggressive entrepreneurial energy and drive. I expect this to be the first in a series of mobile content projects we work on together."

Vibes, a 10-year-old, privately owned company based in Chicago, is a pioneer in the mobile marketing space. The company has executed more than 50,000 mobile marketing programs throughout the U.S. and expects strong growth in their business. Recognized as a leading player in the U.S. mobile applications market, Vibes also recently acquired $15 million dollars as part of a strategic investment by Fidelity Ventures.